Germany’s defence minister quits after string of gaffes

Germany's defence minister has resigned from the government – the culmination of growing doubts about her ability to revive the country's armed forces against the backdrop of the Ukraine war.

The decision by Christine Lambrecht is a blow to the Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a time when Germany is under pressure to approve an increase in international military support for Kyiv, and Germany's defence capabilities have been called into question after several Puma infantry tanks were put out of service during a recent military drill.

Illustrating the point, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Europe's collective conscience would be burdened if it did not help Ukraine more. "I call for decisive actions by the German government," he said, to applause from the mostly conservative German legislators gathered in Berlin's Jewish Museum on Monday marking conservative former German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaueble's half-century in parliament.

"The battle for freedom and our future is raging as we speak... Tanks must not be left in storehouses, but placed in their hands."

Mr Morawiecki implied that the government did not recognise the scale of the threat Europe faced from Russia nor the debt it owed Poland for the destruction wrought during the Second World War and the half-century of Soviet domination that followed.

"In Poland we have the feeling that to this day not all in Germany feel this and really understand how great a sacrifice we made," he said.

The pressure for Mr Scholz to find a successor to Ms Lambrecht is acute, with the US secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, expected in Berlin on Thursday to attend a conference on Friday at the US military base in Ramstein, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, to discuss further support for Ukraine, including whether to send German-built tanks.

Ms Lambrecht asked the chancellor to dismiss her, as formally required, and Mr Scholz has accepted it, a government spokesperson said. The chancellor would propose a successor promptly, the person added, refusing to comment on names.

Parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces, Eva Hoegl, junior defence minister Siemtje Moeller, SPD party head Lars Klingbeil and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil have been suggested as candidates by German media. Mr Scholz has promised to staff his cabinet with equal numbers of men and women. If a man should succeed Lambrecht, this could result in further reshuffling.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said, citing government sources, that a successor would be announced on Tuesday.

Ms Lambrecht has been blamed by critics for failing to get the German armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr, back in shape quickly, despite a €100bn (£89bn) special fund being agreed for that purpose after Russia invaded Ukraine. She was most recently criticised by media and opposition figures for posting an outdoor video on social media on New Year's Day in which she thanked servicemen and women, but struggled to be heard against background noise from firecrackers and seemingly mixed up the war in Ukraine with pleasant personal encounters.

"What kind of a year was 2022? It faced us with many incredible challenges. There is a war raging in the middle of Europe. Associated with this were for me many special impressions, many encounters with interesting, great people," Ms Lambrecht said in the video.

Ms Lambrecht was also forced to defend herself against further critcism after it was revealed she had flown on holiday with her son using a government helicopter.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the head of Germany's parliamentary defence committee and a member of Scholz's junior coalition partner Free Democrats (FDP), called for her successor to be installed quickly.

"I now expect the Social Democrats to name a successor as soon as possible who is assertive towards the ministry, does not abuse the defence ministry for other political ambitions and, above all, brings with them an understanding and heart for the soldiers."

Reuters